This invention relates to an apparatus for locating a camper on a pick-up truck bed.
Camper bodies fitted onto beds of pick-up trucks are extremely popular forms of recreational vehicles because the campers can be removed easily from the bed when required so the truck can be used for other purposes. When removed from the truck bed, the camper is normally supported on jacks near its four corners. The camper is fitted onto the truck bed by first backing the truck under the camper so supported. The jacks are then lowered until the camper rests on the truck bed. A holddown mechanism of some form is provided to anchor the camper onto the truck bed. It is clear that the camper must be very accurately aligned with the truck bed before it is lowered so that it will be in the proper position before being anchored. In the past this has required very skillfull backing of the truck and considerable trial and error.
A variety of different holddown devices for campers and the like are found in earlier U.S. patents. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,475,049 to Overhulser reveals a mounting means for camper pick-ups and shows a wedge-shaped piece 60 which fits into a receeding slot 50. Other types of camper anchoring devices are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,503,647 to Gostomski; No. 3,638,895 to Henson; No. 3,549,194 to Matson and No. 3,781,057 to Manuel. An easily assembled and disassembled camper is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,536,352 to Beckley, while U.S. Pat. 3,623,690 to Bargman shows a releasable holddown device adapted for insertion into the openings in stake pockets on a vehicle bed. These prior art patents do not reveal a holddown device which guides the camper precisely to the correct location on the truck bed as it is lowered onto the bed.